How to Separate Overgrown Hostas
Hostas can start to look crowded if they are not separated from time to time. While you can separate hostas at any time, the best time of year to do this is early spring, as soon as they begin to come up through the ground. This lessens the risk of shock to the plant.
- Choose the plants that you want to separate. The best plants would be those that are four years old or younger. Older plants are denser and are harder to divide.
- Using a spade, start digging 6 inches from the edge of the plant and about a foot down. Dig down all the way around the plant.
- Pry the plant loose once you have dug all the way around it. Do this by using your pointed spade or a pitch fork. Place it under the plant and rock back and forth to pry the section up. It can be hard work, depending on the soil.
- Shake the plant gently to remove the loose dirt from the roots.
- Rinse the roots with a hose that has an adjustable sprayer. Set the sprayer so it is hard enough to get the dirt off, but not so hard as to damage the roots.
- Lay the plant on the ground and begin pulling apart the clumps of roots. Rinse them again in water, if you need to, in order to make separating the roots easier.
- Pull the plant so it separates in half. Now, divide each section of plant in half again. Continue dividing until you have plants the size that you want. You can break the hosta by using a knife to cut the plant apart, if you cannot pull it apart. Be careful to only cut the plant, not the roots.
- Divide your plants every two to four years to keep them from becoming overly crowded.